The Offshore Safety Directive (6) – Offshore Operatorship

On 19 July 2015, a raft of legislative amendments and new regulations came into force implementing the Offshore Safety Directive (2013/30/EU) (OSD). The key regulations are the Offshore Installations (Offshore Safety Directive) (Safety Case etc.) Regulations 2015 and the Offshore Petroleum Licensing (Offshore Safety Directive) Regulations 2015. The application of the new regulations is phased in over a transitional period between 19 July 2015 and 19 July 2018.

The new regulations create new obligations, duties and liabilities for offshore licensees and the companies they appoint to carry out offshore operations. The changes do not represent a radical overhaul of the existing regime. However, the changes are important – especially in terms of the contractual relationships between oil companies, licence operators and appointed installation duty holders.